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StamkosFan · 12-22-2018, 02:45 AM

While some teams are shy of first gens and the risks involved, it does not seem the Halifax Raiders are one of them. Halifax only took one recreate in goalie Mike McKorsy, including taking first gen Jimmy Slothface with the 8th overall pick. So far, they have been rewarded with locker room contributions and pledged loyalty, but only time can truly tell how the draft picks turned out. Kristoffer Matsson gave an excellent glimpse at what the rookies have to offer, especially on the ice, but the co-GM Ola Wagstrom felt obligated to make a post since this draft class was truly monstrous and unprecedented. Let's give a quick overview of who they selected and what their promising qualities are.

1st Round, 8th Overall-- RW Jimmy Slothface @slothfacekilla

Sloth may be a first gen, but he racked up 40 posts in a short span of time, completing interested prospects, Early Bird PTs, and creating media. He has also established a heavy presence on Discord, and the green dot always seems to hover beside his name on the forums. Slothface is the first of many Nordic prospects to be drafted by Halifax, hailing from Finland. As a shoot-first Finnish sniper right wing with excellent skating, early comparisons to Patrik Laine may be apt.

2nd Round, 17th Overall-- D Perry Morgan @"owenm43"

Perry Morgan was a name that Halifax was debating taking at 8th Overall, so when he was still there at 17, they were quick to snatch him off the board. After hearing how he was a major presence in the UK Locker Room, Halifax knew that they wanted that element. A pass-first guy with some grit and tenacity, Morgan has incredible stamina and isn't afraid to deliver big hits. The Raiders hope that he can morph into a top-pairing blueliner who can eat massive minutes and be deployed in all situations.

3rd Round, 21st Overall-- C Kristoffer Matsson @Zema

Here is one of the Halifax co-GM's favorites; StamkosFan was in frequent contact with Matsson before the draft, and definitely liked the potential Matsson had flashed. Matsson made an immediate impact for Team Scandinavia on Line 3 of the WJC and was quick to make friends and spark conversation in the Sweden locker room. With the center's Discord presence, media works, and timeliness in completing point tasks, Halifax was thrilled to make this pick up outside the top two rounds. Matsson already has an excellent faceoff rating, so he has already set himself up for success at the faceoff dot.

4th Round, 32nd Overall-- D Andrej Doskočil @Citizen of Adraa

In selecting another pass-first defenseman, Halifax demonstrated that they do not really prioritize the scoring defenseman mold. This Czech defenseman, much like Morgan, has a solid defense rating and is eager to hit guys and hit them hard. In order to compensate for his physicality, he has allocated additional TPE into Discipline, a rare move in juniors. Doskočil's name was mentioned back at 21 as a consideration if Matsson was taken, so when he was still available at 32, Halifax knew he was their guy. Acquiring some money beyond his 3 million entry-level contract will be a top priority for Doskočil, but after completing all the PT work, he will likely find a way.

4th Round, 35th Overall-- C Matt Kholin @Kalakar

Halifax was on the clock again just a few picks later, so they grabbed their first North American prospect, the Canadian center Matt Kholin. Kholin has also yet to accrue much cash other than his contract, but he dove headfirst in point tasks and surveys. He is performing admirably, especially considering that this is his first sim league, and the Raiders hope that he will be comfortable in their development system. While he has dubbed himself a playmaker, his scoring barely trails behind his passing abilities, so he should be a balanced player that succeeds in all aspects of the game. With Matsson and Kholin down the middle, Halifax could be set up with two stellar pivots for years to come.

5th Round, 47th Overall-- G Mike McKorsy @Flames1848

This was the first, and only, time Halifax deviated from their pattern of selecting first gen players. Looking for a goaltender to mind the crease for the considerable future, the Raiders were torn between many great options, but felt that the German McKorsy was the right way to go. With a background on the site, he appears to be a reliable selection. He created a Twitter account yesterday to establish a social media presence, posted a compelling tale in SMJHL media before the draft, and completed the available point tasks; this combination of things won the Raiders' commitment. His reaction time, size, and rebound control all are superb and make him stand out against juniors competition. He is blossoming in a top-notch Hybrid Goalie that skaters can trust to guard the twine if things go awry on a rush.

5th Round, 48th Overall-- RW Frank Mouette @andrew-n

Mouette is reminiscent of the picks that the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning like to make, with eye-popping speed and a nose for the net. While he will likely have to seek to round out his build in the future, he has a great start with boost in two of the three most important STHS attributes. He stands out not just in those build areas, but he also grabbed the Raiders attention with a synopsis of the Top Offensive Threats in the Prospect Showcase. This is a pick of pure, raw potential, and Halifax is banking on him developing into a star.

6th Round, 51st Overall-- LW Oleg Scoreov @MR_Datsyuk13

Nabbing Scoreov so late has all the markings of a steal. Here you have a guy who filled out all the Interested Prospects forums and is highly active on Discord, impressing early as a cordial and easygoing presence in the locker room. The Russian winger intends to grow into a Sniper, but as of now, his ratings are quite even, so he has no apparent weaknesses in his game. With everything at pedestrian levels, it is up to him to figure out what ratings he wants to buff and elevate.

6th Round, 53rd Overall-- RW Troy Reynolds @sharksisback

The last of many Raiders picks that were in close succession, after this selection, Halifax would not have draft again for nearly 30 picks. Reynolds, while not the first North American pick of the draft, was Halifax's first player of United States origin, and he wins brownie points with SMJHL GMs for selecting Defense as a strength. He has excellent positioning, an intelligent pass, and fluid skating, and has emerged as another rookie that has maintained a great presence in the Halifax locker room. It was unfathomable to management that he fell to the Raiders at Round 6, especially after posting an 800 word write up in SMJHL Media and completing point tasks. It is early, but this looks like another steal for the Raiders.

8th Round, 80th Overall-- LW Clifton Outlaw @theshinymew64

Halifax picks up another first gen forward who was on the ball with point tasks in Canadian Clifton Outlaw. His skating, scoring, and passing strengths should delight coaches, but he will definitely be encouraged by management to allocate some TPE to defense. This could be a major sleeper for top rookie campaign, with Scoring and Passing already above average. For Outlaw, it'll be about earning some money and adding the finishing touches to his build.

10th Round, 92nd Overall-- RW PJ Paradise @0880

The Raiders add to the bounty of forwards acquired via this entry draft with power forward PJ Paradise; GMs might do a double take when they see that his Scoring rating is already at 80. There is ineptitude currently in almost all other areas, so he will likely be pressed to boost other facets of his build in his updates. But his heavy shot should mean he will have little problem scoring right away. The "I don't" answer to "How do you plan on making money?" may have scared some GMs away, but as someone who has been active with point tasks, he could probably be convinced to change his mind.

11th Round, 102nd Overall-- C Yung Javi @javiergonz

Halifax's last forward selection of the draft was center Yung Javi, who asked to be selected by Halifax and seems interested in the franchise. His build is completely focused on Passing, Scoring, and Skating, with some Faceoffs work, but Defense will definitely be something management will want him to add. As of this moment, he has only completed training, but he was contacted on Discord, and may only need someone to explain how updating and TPE work on the site. With Javi's selection, the Raiders now have a S46 center for each of their top 3 lines.

12th Round, 112th Overall-- D Dylan Karlsson @DilIsPickle

A friend of StamkosFan who models his game after Karlsson, Dylan comes after achieving major success in the VHL. As a smooth-skating Swedish puck wizard, it remains to be seen if he can harness his innate talent and see it manifest on the ice. Karlsson has not had any activity on the site, but after being recruited by the prestigious S44 SHL 2nd Overall Pick, there is hope that he could show signs of activity and become a steal for the Raiders. The name is a tribute to Erik Karlsson, so Halifax hopes that he may follow in the NHL star's footsteps.

13th Round, 122nd Overall-- D Nero Slater @Allix

As many teams were beginning to pass, Halifax was done yet, but this would be their final selection of the draft before they called it a night. Much like Javi, Slater purchased training and has not shown any other signs of activity, but could simply be confused about update threads. Slater's build is very interesting though, and seems designed to handle big minutes, with Skating, Defense, and Endurance as the player's current highest ratings. Between Karlsson and Slater, the Raiders hope to have made two shrewd, low-risk selections in the final rounds that could patch the last gap on the blueline.

Coming away from the draft with so many excellent players, many of them selected well below where Halifax personally ranked them, it is no wonder, with all the promise discussed in this article, that the Raiders management is ecstatic with how events unfolded at the draft and with the rookies they have added to their locker room. The next step is to see how the players mesh on the ice and how the team competes against the other nine juniors squads; but right now, the GMs are brimming with confidence. They are already calling the draft a success, and are quite happy to mention that the future looks bright in Nova Scotia.

Word Count: 1809 Words [SMJHL Double Media Week]

slothfacekilla · 12-22-2018, 03:27 AM

Such an epic post!

Zema · 12-22-2018, 04:28 AM

Can't wait until the season starts!

bilbo · 12-22-2018, 10:27 AM

Get hype

King · 12-22-2018, 02:16 PM

Raaaaiiiderrrrrrrrs

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